Champions League – A Milan derby in the semis: Inter leaves Benfica and joins AC Milan

The road to the Champions League final in Istanbul continues for Inter! In the quarter-final return of the C1 2022-2023, Internazionale qualified for the last four of the competition after a spectacular draw against Benfica (3-3). Victorious in the first leg, the Milan team generally dominated the debates at the Giuseppe-Meazza stadium but let their opponent return at the very end of the match because of a form of decompression linked to the absence of suspense on the identity of the future. semi-finalist. A great architect of this Lombard qualification, Nicolo Barella played a leading role in midfield. In the semi-finals, Inter will face neighbor AC Milan, a meeting already awaited by a whole city.

Italy can smile: it will be at the rendezvous of the final organized in Istanbul on June 10th. It now remains to be seen which Milan club will be present on the lawn. AC Milan or Inter? The bets have been made. Be that as it may, this double confrontation will recall that of the 2002-2003 season, a time when Italian football dominated the European scene head and shoulders. Twenty years later, the situation is very different, but Italy will have the right to dream of a long-awaited successor … Inter, in 2010. This Wednesday evening, the Nerazzurri made it easier to believe in their dream to lift a fourth C1 in their history.

Barella, and Italy is here

Started at a senator’s pace, the meeting got carried away on the first shot of the game. On his left foot, Barella sent an unstoppable curling shot into the top corner of Odysseas Vlachodimos (14th, 1-0). Solid tactically, this Inter took a psychological advantage over its opponent and gradually put the game to sleep. Fortunately for the show, Benfica found the fault to equalize just before the break: Fredrik Aursnes catapulted his head under the bar of André Onana (38th, 1-1). At halftime, doubt was still allowed on the future opponent of AC Milan.

In the second half, Roger Schmidt quickly took risks with the entry of twirling winger David Neres. The game got heated, but in fact Inter were the first team to score a second time. On a cross from Federico Dimarco, Lautaro Martinez unblocked himself to put his team definitively safe from a surprise elimination (66th, 2-1). Released, Inter flew away through Joaquin Correa, freshly entered into play, with a rolled up right foot (78th, 3-1). With the assurance of playing in the semi-final, Simone Inzaghi’s men reduced their pressing and the intensity of the game dropped drastically, enough to allow Benfica to raise their heads. If Neres found the post (83rd), Antonio Silva reduced the gap with a header (86th, 3-2) then Petar Musa snatched the equalizer for honor (95th, 3-3). No matter: in Milan, the essential is now elsewhere.